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Thursday, March 6, 2014

March Artist in Residence, writer Nathaniel Sandler

For the month of March, writer Nathaniel Sandler will be documenting the swamp through non-fiction collections based writing in the park’s archive, as well as working on writing an ongoing long form fictional world that is set primarily in the swamps of South Florida. Sandler is also a weekly columnist for WLRN, South Florida’s NPR affiliate.

As a born and raised Miami native, Sandler feels there is no better place for him to make a home and explore the lush tropics we call the Everglades. “Part of being a writer is working finding a setting,” explains Sandler.“Landscape and environment need to be creatively folded in to a literary repertoire. Sometimes place becomes the main character, and place becomes the main passion.”

Sandler’s work initially began by focusing on South Florida collections at museums, libraries, and archives. He believes that the curators, librarians, archivists, and those that house the objects and tend to them, have less time to tell the stories within their collections.

“My work has been convincing organizations in need that through the Internet those stories can now be freely told and shared. My main goal is to uncover those things hidden within the setting I am ensconced and to share it with those around me.”

Symbolically to Sandler, the Everglades could be seen as a collection itself. The human factor and cultural remnants over thousands of years remains. As a writer, Sandler wants to animate the Everglades through fiction, and hopes to continue writing what might be his first novel, tentatively titled “Tough Saw Grass,” in the Artist in Residency Program in the Everglades.

WHERE: Royal Palm Visitor Center, 4 miles (6 km) from the main park entrance near Homestead.

Mr. Sandler will exhibit books and reading materials as a means for visitors to experience something fun and interesting at the park. The exhibit promotes literacy, art, andthe tangible, timeless beauty of books by disseminating the printed word.The books and reading materials will be available for free to visitors. Mr. Sandler will set up at the Royal Palm, near the Anhinga Trail. Mr. Sandler’s exhibit is supported by Bookleggers Library, a community mobile library that sets up in South Florida to give free books away to the public to encourage reading.

2. Save the Date: Everglades Day Trip April 5thMiami, Florida- A tour in which all proceeds will benefit the Artist-in-Residence-in-Everglades (AIRIE)Program. Miami-based artist and AIRIE Board Member Christy Gast will host a day trip to the Hole-in-the-Donut region of the Everglades in conjunction with her solo exhibition at Locust Projects entitled Inholdings. The tour begins at Locust Projects with a private chat about the work in the show. From there we will board an exclusive motor coach with artists and scientists and tour the sites that inspired the work--slash pine forests, tomato fields, an ecological restoration project and a nuclear missile base. The tour will include a picnic lunch, and will last about 6 hours round trip.RSVP to airieinfo@gmail.com.